Thief in the Limelight
by The Oddball Storyteller
Summary: It's not always wise to judge a book by its cover, and sometimes it's downright dangerous. Some people just aren't what they seem to be. Rated for violence and language, some Dovahkiin X Delvin Mallory, #1 in Crime Life mini-series
1. Dancing to the Beat of a Different Drum

**Author's Note: **hello! Welcome! Let's all thank Bethesda for the Elder Scrolls series!

* * *

_Dancing to the Beat of a Different Drum_

* * *

"The thief strikes in the dead of night," she whispered to herself, picking a lock with practiced ease. "Clinging to the darkest shadows, moving in utter silence…" She pushed the door closed, performed an unnecessary roll and then moved along the wall until she made it to the stairs.

She made no noises that would alert others to her presence; the stairs did not even dare to creak under her. She crept up to a door and tried the handle. Locked.

Humming softly, she pulled out her tools again. She stuck her tongue out as she worked, and then started singing, "The lock goes _click_, _click_, _click_ when I pick, pick, pick!" She giggled, saying, "I love my job!" For a moment, she was completely silent, listening… "I'm in." She eased the door open slowly, peeking into the room to find the sleeping home-owners.

Her eyes pierced the darkness, searching for something, anything. She slipped into the room, her footfalls feather-soft. The jewel encrusted goblet on the shelf above the bed caught her attention almost immediately. A wicked smile came to her face.

Beside the bed and hovering over a big, slumbering male Nord, she reached for the goblet. She was shorter than your average Breton, making things a bit difficult as her fingertips just barely brushed against the sparkling chalice. Stretching a bit more, she managed to grab the thing. She stored it in her satchel and turned, thinking that she was done with this place. These people weren't as well off as they'd made themselves out to be.

She stopped dead in her tracks when a strongbox caught her eye. Another smile. She got ready to pick another lock, thinking up rhymes: _Anything and everything will be mine, all mine. You'll never know it was me 'cause I'll leave no trace or sign. _

Once she got the safe open, she stuck her greedy little hands into gold and gems. _It shines and it glistens, tempting any who see, but anything and everything will be all mine – I take what I want and flee! _She glanced at the snoozing couple as she emptied the safe. She slid out of the room, quite proud of herself.

"I hunt for gems, I look for gold – I rob you blind, wait for disaster to unfold. It shines and it glistens – just for me. You'd never believe that I got all of this for free!" With those words, she left the house, disappearing into the night, though she still whispered her song: "Like a bird, I'm carried by the wind, traveling fast and traveling far. I dropped the map long ago; I'm guided by a single star. He'll lead me back and I'll be safe and sound.

"My star shines and glistens, leading me home. I don't share, he's all mine. He's oblivious and hopeless and not safe to love, but if you mess with him, I'll show you what I'm made of! He's all mine, he just doesn't know it yet…"

* * *

"'Ey, lass. Finally back? How did it go?" Brynjolf questioned as he neared her. She dragged the goblet from her satchel.

"How about a drink?" She was grinning widely. She set it down on the table, staring at the glittering sapphires and emeralds. "For you," she offered, pushing it forward as he sat across from her. She leaned back in her chair until it wobbled on two legs.

Brynjolf nodded, accepting the gift. He turned it over in his hands, inspecting it. Finally, he looked at her again. He gave her a small smile. "Well then, what's next on your agenda?"

"What's next?" Sol echoed. "We'll just have to wait and see…"

"'Ey, boss."

At the sound of that man's voice, Sol's chair righted itself. She looked to the left as Delvin Mallory walked into The Ragged Flagon, staring at her with his dark eyes. "Mallory," she greeted.

"I got a job for you, if you're interested." He dragged a chair over to sit with her and Brynjolf.

"You know I am," she said. "What's this one all about?"

"I guess you could call it an advanced fishing job," he told her, shrugging. "We've got some visitors here in Riften. The kind that likes to throw around their coin."

"Sounds like it'll be worth my time." She leaned forward, now able to focus on the job rather than the man giving it to her.

"There's this family, you see. They've adopted the name Goldblood – they're foreigners and changed their name upon coming here. They're having an estate built somewhere in the Rift, but they're staying in the city until it's complete."

"That's all well and good. Whose pocket would you like me to lighten, though?" Sol questioned.

"Here's the thing: what you want isn't in her pockets – she's wearing it. You're going after Linka Goldblood, the eldest of their children. That girl was walking around, showing off to anyone who would pay her any mind. I want you to slip that diamond ring of hers right off of her finger."

"Consider it done."

"Heh. You'll find her floating around, chatting up the residents. I knew I could count on you to take the job, boss."

Well, she'd probably do a lot more than this if he asked it of her. No one needed to know that, though – least of all him. Besides, it wasn't just the fact that Delvin Mallory had requested this of her; she also looked forward to the _clink_ of gold coins.

"There's one more thing you should know," Delvin started, "and it's that she's got some mercenaries guarding her. Two of them, to be exact."

"And now it sounds dangerous," Sol said with a smile. She took more pleasure in her work when it was more likely that she'd be caught. "This is gonna be fun!"

* * *

Sitting outside The Bee and Barb, Sol observed as people passed her by. Linka Goldblood wasted no time making an appearance. She chattered away with the locals, completely at ease. The two mercenaries following after her were tense and focused, their eyes restless as they searched for possible threats.

When the woman was close enough, Sol stood up. She lifted a bucket of water and balanced it on her shoulder as she started walking. She picked up one foot and hopped along, making sure that her shoe was on right. Not paying attention, she managed to bump into Goldblood. The bucket fell. Water drenched their clothes and chilled their skin - and the ring slid off the woman's slender finger without a hitch.

"I'm so sorry!" Sol exclaimed, picking up the dropped bucket. The mercenaries pinned her with harsh glares after making sure that Linka was all right. "I wasn't paying attention. Forgive me!" She bowed her head low, causing her damp ginger hair to fall in front of her face.

It was silent for a long moment as Linka simply looked at Sol, her jaw clenching and unclenching. She dragged a hand through her hair, now tangled and sticking to her pale, flawless skin. "My ring...!" She gasped, staring at her now bare finger. "Where is it?"

Sol lifted her gaze, watched as the woman searched the ground frantically, because, surely, it must have slipped off with the water. "Nobody move!" Goldblood cried when someone approached them.

"Thief!"

Sol's eyes widened as she turned her head to look at the new-comer. She batted her eyelashes, playing the innocent. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't even try it!" The girl snarled – and actually bared her teeth like an agitated animal. She glared at Sol with eyes like sapphires. They glittered – dangerously.

Guards rushed over to check out the situation. The new-comer pointed at Sol, "She has it! She has the ring! She's a thief!"

Sol placed the bucket down and lifted her hands in surrender. "I assure you, I am no such thing. Please, check for yourselves."

She endured an excruciatingly long and very thorough search. All the while, she stared at this blue-eyed _rat_ with a soft, nearly non-existent smile. The guards would find nothing and she'd be free to go. The ring would be hers. Goldblood will have learned a lesson. And this girl would be made a fool of. For some reason, that last thing made it impossible for Sol to be angry with her.

"This woman does not have the ring you described," the guard told Goldblood. "Shall we search this one, too?" He gestured to the rat. Goldblood nodded frantically.

Sol side-stepped away as the guards looked over the girl. She insisted that Sol had taken the ring, that she was no thief, that she'd watched it all happen. They finished searching her, with no luck. "It must have fallen through the cracks and into the water below, lady. Sorry." With that, the guards sauntered away.

Goldblood heaved a groan of despair. "I have to tell Father..." With that, she rushed into the inn, her hired goons at her heels.

Sol hummed softly, walked a short distance, bent down and retrieved the ring from a basket that she'd placed by the inn beforehand. With a discreet wrist flick, she'd flung it into the basket without anyone noticing – not even Gem Eyes.

"I know who you are," the girl grumbled, standing behind Sol now. "You walk around, looking and acting like you're in the same boat as us... I know it's not true. I know that you're not just a thief, but a liar, too."

"Little girl, go home." That was all she was going to say, she assured herself. She couldn't be bothered with this! She had very important things to do! Well…that wasn't entirely true. She was just going to fence the ring and then hide out in Honeyside – her home – until she fell to the floor in a drunken stupor.

"Don't brush me off!"

She listened as a blade was dragged from its sheath. Turning, she caught the girl's arm and twisted it, holding the dagger far from her. "What is it? What's got you so steamed?" Sol questioned softly, trying not to draw any attention to them. "Down on your luck? _All alone_?"

The look of stark fear that she received had Sol releasing the dark-haired girl. She didn't try to attack Sol again, in fact, she stepped back. She couldn't even look her in the face now. That told Sol that she'd actually guessed right.

"And you're angry with me because I have my shit together?" Sol laughed, turning away with a shake of the head.

"It's not that," she snarled, falling in step behind Sol.

"So, what? What do you want from me? You just want to see me land behind bars because you're not doing so well? What's your name anyway, girl?"

"Quit calling me that!" she snapped. This woman had her so angry, she wanted to spit fire, but something compelled her to answer truthfully: "Fridrika Vinter. I go by Vinter."

"How fitting..." Sol murmured.

"What?"

"Your personality… You're kinda cold, like winter. Anyway, if you'll lose that senseless pride of yours, I'll take you for a walk, girlie. But you'll also have to promise me that there will be no more attempts on my life!"

She was laughing again, Vinter thought with a frown. Something told her that she'd be suffering through a lot of headaches, but, "Yeah... I promise."

* * *

**Chapter end! **Thanks for reading! Yeah... Those "lyrics" were on the fly... And yes, Fridrika Vinter is an OC.


	2. Eyes on the Prize

_Eyes on the Prize_

* * *

"I really liked the technique you employed!" Sol was bouncing up and down, giving her the appearance of a giddy child. Her big brown eyes were those of an innocent, but Fridrika knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Sol's ready smile and childish personality hid a dark secret. She was a thief without equal, the master of the Thieves Guild.

"Men all have the same weakness," Fridrika mumbled. She couldn't say that she felt bad for deceiving that man, either. He'd been the one willing to believe that someone like her could want to bed someone like him – it'd been a fool's dream! "Pretending to be interested in them opens up many doors."

"What would you have done if he weren't so drunk and stupid? What if he'd locked the door behind you guys and tried to…you know? Do the dirty?" Sol whispered that last part, as if she couldn't bring herself to speak openly about sex.

Fridrika looked at her, her face blank and impossible to read. "I _am_ capable with these daggers, you know? I wouldn't allow myself to be a victim of that just for your guild."

Sol gasped. "I'd never ask you to be! I'd applaud you if you killed him, really!"

Fridrika hummed a short response. "Have you never used your gender against one of your targets?"

Sol's smile disappeared immediately. "Doesn't really work with me." She ran a hand over her shoulder-length hair and gestured to her lack of feminine curves. "I used to be called 'Mosquito Bites' by some very rude boys!"

"It doesn't matter what you look like. It's confidence that you need."

"I'm full of confidence!" Sol told her. "I'm pretty egotistical, you know?"

"You're proud of that?" Fridrika muttered, though not loud enough for Sol to hear over the biting winds.

"What's that?" Sol wondered aloud, watching some men as they laid down some stones.

"Looks like they're building a road."

Sol skipped up to the workers and smiled when they acknowledged her presence. "Hiya!" Sol greeted. "What's the road for?"

The men stood up straight, rubbing at their aching muscles. They'd been at this for a while. "Some rich family moving in. They're foreigners, but money gets you anything – no matter where you are."

"Yeah…" Sol nodded, "You're right."

A couple of horse-drawn carriages moved by them, heading up the small hill and then disappearing into the woods. "Their house was just finished," one of the Nord workers continued. "I caught a glimpse of it the other day; it's pretty big."

"Wow. Sounds nice. Well, we're gonna let you guys get back to work! Be careful!" Sol gestured for Fridrika to follow her, which she did. When they were out of ear-shot, Sol told her, "That family is probably the Goldbloods."

"Goldblood? If I remember correctly, you stole a ring from one of them."

"That's right. I didn't realize they were having their house built so close to the city." She was smiling.

"What's going through that head of yours?" Fridrika dared to ask.

"Did you see what was on the back of those wagons?" When Fridrika shook her head, Sol sighed. "So you didn't see the fancy wardrobes and cases, statues made of gold, the pottery? I'm sorry, but were you trying to work with me or not? If you're not noticing these things, you're going to fail. Miserably!"

"I'm sorry! I'm not like you! I didn't go around before, thinking to myself, 'Hmm, I wonder what these people can do for me' or 'I bet they have something nice and shiny for me to take.' Do I look like a bird to you?

_Nightingale_, the thought came to Sol unbidden, forcing her to remember…

"What's wrong?" Fridrika asked. Sol suddenly looked so far away. Her eyes were on her, but she seemed to be staring right through her. "Sol?"

"It's nothing," the woman claimed. "Let's head back. I'm hungry."

* * *

"Were you ever going to tell me your plans, lass?" Brynjolf questioned three days later. Fridrika watched him with her sparkling blue eyes. He was too busy glaring at Sol to even notice her. "Vex came to me so that I could relay the information to you – but would I have found out otherwise?"

"Eventually," Sol said, shrugging. She leaned back in her chair until it stood on two legs. Brynjolf sighed as he watched her lace her fingers behind her head with her devilish smile. "Are you going to tell me what I need to know?" She closed her eyes with a yawn.

"Vex says that there are mercenaries everywhere. They even have hounds guarding the outside of that place."

"Wow! They must be really stingy! Or have something they really want to protect…"

"You're askin' for trouble, lass." And that was all he was going to say on the matter.

Sol shrugged. "I've been in worse situations. You should know that." She opened one eye to see his expression; he wasn't happy. "Bryn, you look tired."

Fridrika chanced taking a peek. Not that she needed to; she'd seen the dark circles under his eyes, the slack body. Brynjolf only frowned at Sol's observation.

The ginger-haired woman took a swig of her ale. Delvin, having been sitting there the entire time with them, glanced at her. He dragged a hand over his shaved head, saying, "Maybe he's right, boss."

"Not you too, Mallory." Sol laughed. "Do you guys forget who I am or something?"

"It's not that, lass—"

"You're arrogant," Fridrika spoke up. "You'll get yourself killed." And she didn't sugar-coat things.

Sol looked at her, then. They'd become fast friends over the last few days. Anybody who had witnessed the change in their relationship would have questioned how it was possible. But the proof was plain to see; they stuck to each other, even managed to seem sisterly.

"Is that really what you think?" Sol asked. The smile had left her face. Her eyes were narrowed as if she were deeply insulted. Fridrika actually began to think that she was in trouble, but then Sol grinned – looking more childish than she probably realized. "Then I'm doing this just to prove to you guys that I can! Those Goldbloods are going to regret ever coming to Skyrim!"

Fridrika was already rubbing her temples. Delvin was shaking his head. Bryn…he couldn't even bring himself to do either of those things.

"Why not take someone with you?" Delvin questioned.

Sol made a face at the idea. "That's not my style!"

"Let me go with you," Fridrika urged.

Now Sol looked nervous. "Do you think that's wise, Gem? You're still new to this and I don't want to chance you getting caught…or worse." She reached over and patted Fridrika on the shoulder. "I'll be fine by myself. Really."

Fridrika didn't look convinced. Eventually, she sighed and said, "You're going to do as you please no matter what, so talking to you is useless."

Sol couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up. "You're catching on!"

* * *

Sol waited another three days before making the trip out to the Goldblood estate. She'd spoken to Vex to get a better idea of the place, and after learning more, she found it hard to contain her excitement. Staring at the place right now, her body shook violently. There were guards wherever she looked and hounds sniffed the air in order to detect intruders.

She took a breath and regained her composure. She pushed off, sprinting through the woods soundlessly, as if she knew the woods intimately and it was aiding her. She went around back and stepped up to a window. Using a piece of parchment that she'd folded a couple of times, she slid it between the cracks, moved it up and lifted the hook that kept the circular window closed.

It was the wind that eased the window open. Sol peeked inside, glanced around to make sure that no guards were close by, and then she climbed into the building.

_Wow…_ Even Sol was impressed with this place. A jarl would be jealous! There were fireplaces, bear pelt rugs, ivory trinkets and embroidered fabrics. Sol didn't know what to snatch first! _Let's explore… _Seemed like a good plan of action.

Sol was uncharacteristically silent as she moved through the house. She had to pause now and again because of patrolling men. What were these people hiding? Sol was almost sure that they were, in fact, hiding something now. If not to protect a secret, then why else would someone hire so many thugs?

"Where did they want this thing?" she heard a man ask. Curious, she peeked around the corner and caught sight of the most beautiful piece of work that she'd ever seen. A dragon statuette made of pure gold. Its eyes were small glittering rubies and diamonds served as its claws and teeth.

_Mine…_ That was the only word that came to Sol's mind.

"It'll go upstairs! In the main bedroom!" a woman snapped angrily. Sol backed up some, recognizing her as the lady of the house – Agnes Goldblood. If she was here, then her husband, Claude, wouldn't be far behind. He was almost always with her. "Be careful with it! That was made-to-order and cost a fortune, so if I see one little thing wrong, I'll know who to come for."

_What a harpy… _ Sol frowned and her expression went thoughtful. Now she had to figure out a way to get to the second floor. Trying to go up the stairs would be suicide; there were too many people going up and down them at all times. Shaking her head, Sol thought of a million swears. She'd have to come back later, but better prepared.

There was only one thing that she knew for sure at this point: that dragon _would_ be hers.

* * *

**Chapter end! **


	3. Shadows

**Author's Note:** I never said I was a good poet!

* * *

_Shadows_

* * *

Sol stumbled into The Ragged Flagon, panting and sweating all over the place. "What happened?" Fridrika was on her feet instantly to help the woman to a table. "Sol, are you hurt?"

"No way!" Sol said through gasps.

"Then why did you run here?"

Sol glanced at Delvin and Brynjolf before looking at Fridrika again. "It was dinner-time," she said and then laughed when Fridrika's frown deepened. "Why do you never laugh at my jests? I'm funny!"

"You wish…"

"You wound me, Vinter." Sol's eyes were big and tear-filled.

Fridrika was unaffected. "I'll do a lot more than that if you don't get serious right now."

Sol sighed before saying, "I was thinking about spending the night over there. You see, they've got something I _really_ want. It's so pretty! And so fitting! You know who I am, right? The Dragonborn, that's who! You know what that means? In short, it means I've got the soul of a dragon."

"I never would have guessed. You seem less bent on destroying humanity than I thought a dragon would be." Even now, Fridrika seemed unfazed.

"I'm not trying to get your goat or anything, Gem! It's true!" Sol was pouting. When Fridrika only nodded, Sol let it go. "Anyway, this piece is shaped like a dragon. When I get ahold of it, it's staying in my personal collection."

"Did you see anything else?" Brynjolf questioned.

"Of course! That place is a treasure trove." Sol walked away, heading for the Cistern. When she returned, she was in common clothes, her hair was damp and she was wiping her face on a white cloth. With the rag wrapped around her neck, she walked over to her chair in front of the bar and grabbed her lute.

One of the patrons looked up from his drink. He knew a bard when he saw one. "Hey! Hey, play The Age of Oppression!"

Sol acted like she'd hit the man over the head with her instrument. He used both of his arms to protect himself. Sol laughed, saying, "I don't take requests, but I hope you enjoy my music." She cleared her throat and perched herself upon one of the tables.

Fridrika sat down at the same table as Brynjolf and Delvin. Brynjolf was staring into his tankard, but Delvin's eyes were trained on Sol as the woman's fingers started to play over the strings of the lute. Fridrika was surprised; Sol seemed a new person. There was sadness in her eyes, shadows swirling. She looked…_dead_.

"_The Nightingale sings of fear – all-consuming with a rapid heartbeat. Even walking among shadows, I got my first taste of defeat._" She didn't truly sing, but recited. Still, the notes she played made the poem beautiful.

"_The Nightingale sings of betrayal_," Sol claimed. "_Its blood is spilt, and the pain's so great. Nocturnal song, I accept my fate. I make friends with the shadows that coil and strike._

"_The Nightingale sings of its loneliness_," she said. "_It's dark and the winds are bitter cold. These haunting memories, I just can't seem to escape their hold…_ _The shadows preserved me – regrettably._" The lute continued to cry, to mourn with Sol for a long while.

The people around her continued to nurse their drinks when she finished, forced to _think_ in the silence that reigned. Sol laid her lute down and sat at the bar. Vekel slid a drink her way and she downed it.

Fridrika approached, sitting beside her friend. "What's going on?" she asked.

"Intermission!" Sol said with a bright smile, completely normal.

"Very funny—"

"See? I told you I was funny!"

"But you're not fooling me. Something happened."

"Hmm… Not much gets past you, it seems." Sol's dark eyes narrowed when she said, "I don't know what you want me to say, Vinter. There's nothing to really tell. Now why don't you be a good girl and go get me that dragon?"

"I don't think you deserve it."

"_What_? But I'm amazing!" Sol laughed heartily. "I'll sing something happier for you, okay?"

True to her word, Sol played a cheerier tune when she started up again. "_The wind is strong and the water's so deep. Still, I trudge on; this is no time for sleep. _

"_Every fear, every doubt, every tear that I shed – none of it mattered when you said: _

"'_You're all right now.'_" Sol hummed softly as she continued to strum. "_The chasm is wide, I could never hope of reaching the other side. I fall into the sea and it takes what's left of me. You pulled me out. 'You're all right now'. Out of weakness, my head, I bow._

"_I surrender; I'm done running. What's next, I saw coming: 'You're all right now'._"

Sol's eyes touched on one man's face through the entirety of the song. Whether Delvin knew it or not, Fridrika didn't know, but it was painfully obvious that Sol felt something for him.

"_You're enough, always were. All I think of is you. Through my battles and my trials, my feelings for you grew. All I need, truly, truly, are just your words… _

"So will you tell me that I'm all right now?"

Fridrika was the first to clap and a few other people joined in. Sol bowed low and then offered the small crowd a pretty smile. "Thank you!"

Sol waved for Fridrika to follow her. With an exasperated sigh, she did so. The woman led her out of the Thieves Guild hide-out and into world. The things of the night greeted them with their own merry songs; crickets chirped, nighttime birds cooed, the water beneath the city bubbled and burped under them. They walked slowly back to Honeyside, where Sol sat around gloomily, tossing back bottle after bottle of Black-Briar mead.

"Have you ever told him how you feel?" Fridrika asked her. She was concerned; Sol was drinking an unhealthy amount. She watched as Sol finished off yet another bottle.

Sol licked her lips and let the bottle slide from her hand. It clattered on the floor and rolled, coming to a stop when it hit Fridrika's foot. "Have I told Mallory that I love 'im? Yea, I did. You know what it got me? Nothin'!" she spat. "He told me that I couldn't love 'im, as if I need his permission to!" She reached for another bottle, but Fridrika caught her hand.

"I think you've had enough, Sol."

"I'll let you know when I've had enough, 'kay? Right now, I just wanna be numb." Tears spilled over her face, but she was looking up at Fridrika angrily, as if she didn't realize that she was crying. Fridrika smiled down at the woman and wiped away one of those tears with her thumb. Sol pulled away like a child would have. "Quit babyin' me, Vin'er. Let me drink in peace!"

"What kind of friend would I be if I let you do this to yourself?"

"A good one," Sol said with a little giggle. "Drink with me!"

"You know this isn't the answer to your problems, Sol." But Fridrika was sitting with her and popping open a bottle of her own. She took a swig and watched as Sol nodded.

"Yea, but it makes me feel better for a short while. You'll let me have that, right?"

"Just this once," Fridrika allowed. "But never again, Sol."

When Sol fell asleep at the table, Fridrika decided to help her to her bed. She covered her up and snuffed the candles before heading downstairs. She crawled into her own bed with a sigh. Since meeting Sol, Fridrika had never felt sorry for her. Sol was always cheerful. Sol was always strong. Fridrika never would have guessed that it was just a façade, that under that gleeful mask, there was nothing but darkness and pain. Sol was hopeless. Sol was _weak_. Hot tears slid along Fridrika's temples before she could stop them.

"If you lie to yourself often enough, you can start to believe your own bullshit," she heard Sol say from the doorway.

"I thought you were asleep."

Sol shrugged, saying, "I can never stay asleep, not even when I'm drunk off my ass." She pushed herself forward and sat on the floor beside Fridrika's bed."I told myself that I could be happy. I put on a smile _every single day_ when all I wanted to do was sit in the dark and cry until I ran out of tears." She looked over her shoulder and smiled when she saw Fridrika's wet lashes. "I can never allow myself to cry, so when someone cries on my behalf, I feel a little better."

Fridrika punched her friend in the arm. "You're an ass!" And that only made Sol laugh.

* * *

**Chapter end!** These first three chapters were super rushed, so I might be editing them quite a bit later. They _feel _short and rushed - I don't like that~! Thanks for reading, though!


	4. Fixated

_Fixated_

* * *

Fridrika watched with interest as Sol made her own tool. She held up what looked like two large fishing hooks with a big smile before attaching them to more hooks. "What's it for?" she asked her mentor.

"Well, this beauty is gonna get me to the second floor of that house."

"You'll go through a window?"

"You got it. This isn't exactly professionally made, so it might be tricky; these things need to be able to hold your weight."

"And be able to get a good hold on whatever you're climbing?"

"That's right. Good girl! Here's a treat." Sol took a slip of paper out of her pocket and handed it off to Fridrika.

"What's this?" she asked as she unfolded it. "A job?"

"Yup! Should be easy, an in-and-out job. Sawbones is going with you."

"The healer?"

"If that's what you wanna call him. If you ask me… Hey, do you know what sound a duck makes?" Sol grinned. "Anyway, the details are all there. Sawbones will make sure you don't end up in too much trouble."

"And what about you?"

"I think you already know the answer to that." When Fridrika suddenly looked anxious, Sol questioned, "You still don't think I can do it?"

With a shake of her head, she answered truthfully, "No. I've heard the others talk to you about it; it'll be really dangerous." Sol hummed, barely listening. "Are you ignoring me?"

"No."

"But you're still going to do this thing…"

"You know it! I'm a master thief; there's no reason to worry. Besides, the danger factor is what excites me. Haven't you ever done anything just for that rush, that _thrill_?"

Fridrika stared at her for a long moment, at the ridiculous smile that was spreading across her face. "No," she said simply.

Sol blinked. "Risk and reward, Gem!"

"You're obsessed," Fridrika said on a sigh. Sol shrugged carelessly.

"If that gets me what I want, I don't really care."

"That sounds like something a child would say. Maybe you're not as great as I thought you were." With that, Fridrika turned on her heel and headed off.

"Hey!" Sol called after her. Fridrika paused and looked back. "Have a safe trip! Have fun in Windhelm!" She waved, unaffected by Fridrika's fierce glare. With an indignant sniff, Fridrika continued walking away. "What a silly girl," Sol murmured to herself. "'Maybe you're not as great as I thought you were.' Hmph! That's preposterous! I mean, I'm the best…"

If she said it often enough, she'd start to believe it. Maybe everyone else would, too? With a sad smile, she turned back to her work. When she finished, she said, "You're gonna have to work. You're the only thing that I can think of that'll get me close enough."

She stored the tool in her pack and left her home, locking the door behind her. When she looked up, she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Uh… Hey." It wasn't often that she saw him outside of The Ragged Flagon and it was even more of a rare occurrence to have him right outside her door.

Delvin Mallory stood in common clothes, his arms crossed over his chest as he eyed Sol. "So, you _were_ just gonna slink off without tellin' any of us."

"I figured you'd find out sooner or later." Sol shrugged.

"You know that's not how things work, boss."

"Maybe I'm changing things up," she said, tilting her head this way and that – _pop_! _Pop_! "What'd you need, Mallory?" She sounded unbearably tired. She was already kicking herself for drinking like she had the night before. She didn't need Delvin here to make things worse; as much as he made her happy, he also made her feel stupid and only good for one thing – thieving.

Delvin shrugged and reached into his pocket. "I figured there'd be no stoppin' ya' from doing this. I brought you a little somethin'. A good luck charm." Delvin was a superstitious man, believing in things such as 'curses' and the like. Sol…not so much. She figured skill would always save the day. And, for the most part, that helped her along just fine.

"What is it?" she decided to ask, anyway. She held out her hand and he placed a small wooden figurine in the center of her palm. "A deer?"

"That's right. Now, don't go losin' it."

Sol stared at the thing for a second longer, deciding that she'd accept the gift graciously. She didn't care why he was giving it to her; she only cared that it was from him.

"Thank you, Delvin. I like it." She couldn't help the soft caress in her voice.

Delvin only nodded. "I'll let you get to it, then. Come back with some real goodies."

"Will do." Sol watched as the man sauntered away. She let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Damn that man!" She put a hand on her chest, knew that her heart was racing. _Stop messing with me… _She pleaded silently.

* * *

Fridrika had never been to Windhelm before. It was a lot colder here than it was in Riften. Her breath came out as thick fog as she and Sawbones trudged through the freshly fallen snow. "If you're worried about Sol, don't be," Sawbones said, looking back at her through his narrowed eyes. Snow clung to his lashes and he looked more than miserable. "She's one clever broad."

But that would mean nothing if the woman went and got herself killed for a piece to put over her fireplace. "Yeah," Fridrika decided to agree almost a full minute later. She took a breath, regretted it when it burned her lungs. She sighed. "Why does she call you 'Sawbones'?" she asked, trying to find a distraction. The more she thought, the more she wanted to turn back and kill Sol herself.

"Because even though she's as smart as a whip, she's still a child. We met while she was out on the job. She'd misjudged a jump, got caught on a wrought iron gate and cut herself up real good. When we crossed paths, she asked if I knew anything about 'ughs and ouchies'. I was trained traditionally, so I don't know anything about the hand-waving healing spells or whatever it is those mages do."

"So, what happened?"

"I sat her down and prepared my equipment. The moment I touched her and she got a look at my tools, she started screaming and hollering, saying that I was trying to kill her. I think she was drunk."

_I'm positive she was_, Fridrika thought with a frown. "And what'd you do?"

"I didn't have to do anything," Sawbones said with a stiff shrug. "She started running, looking back at me, and because she wasn't paying attention, she ran straight into a low tree branch and knocked herself out. Strangely enough, she looked quite happy lying there in the dirt."

Fridrika couldn't help herself. She laughed. She covered her face with both of her hands, wiping away tears before they froze to her cheeks. Sawbones looked back at her again, grinning.

"By the time she came to, she'd sobered up. She apologized to me in a wee voice as if I were her pa scolding her, said that she owed me and promised herself that she'd never drink while working again. So, in short, since she remembered that first encounter, that memory gave birth to the name Sawbones."

"And what's your real name? Why'd you start working with thieves with your kind of training?"

The man's eyes darkened. "I landed in some trouble, and we'll just say that Sol repaid her debt to me and then some… Sawbones is the only name I really need anymore."

Fridrika didn't question any further. She was sorry for having asked those very personal questions. They were silent for a long time. When she looked up, she could see the city of Windhelm through the thick fall of snow.

* * *

When night fell, Sol was already on Goldblood property. She'd stayed close and scouted until now. Since arriving, she'd been perfectly fine, but now she could feel the shakes running up and down her body. Her heart pounded so quickly that she feared it'd jump out of her chest. She placed a hand over the spot as if she thought that could actually happen.

Sol took a breath and let it out slowly through her mouth. She smiled, fought down the fear as she always did, and pushed off. Her hand dove into her pack, dragging out her make-shift grappling hook. She moved quickly and silently, swinging the hooks to build momentum. She threw the thing up; it hit a ledge with a _chink_ and fought for purchase.

Glancing around warily, Sol tugged on the rope to make sure it could hold her. She began her ascent. When she reached the window, she got it open using her paper method. She eased the window open and stepped down from the ledge, into the room.

Moonlight spilled into the room, showing an office – not a bedroom. _I must be blessed_. She regretted that thought instantly when the door started to creak open. She ducked low behind the desk. A dog's claws clicked on the wooden floor as he came into the room.

He stopped and Sol dared to take a peek. The beast stood in the middle of the room, hackles standing up as if he sensed her presence. He scented the air and a growl rumbled deep in his throat. His intense gaze fell on Sol and his teeth gleamed in the soft moon glow.

"Shit…! Nice doggie," she whispered. "Go away now. Be a good boy."

The dog lowered his head, snarling angrily. His body tensed up and he acted as though he'd lunge at her. "Tyko," a male voice murmured into the darkness. Immediately, the dog's ears perked up and he turned to the man in the doorway. "I know you're in here now. You should reveal yourself. It'll make things easier for you."

Sol hesitated. She was caught like a rabbit in a snare. Her shoulders drooped and she forced herself to stand. She looked up to see Birger, the youngest Goldblood.

Birger nodded at her, saying, "You made the right choice. I can—"

"Nice work, my son!" Even Birger jerked at the sound of his father's voice. His eyes widened a little as he looked at Sol. "You caught us a thief..." Claude clapped the boy on the shoulder and all at once, Birger's face was one carved from stone. "You know what happens now, yes?"

Birger didn't respond immediately. His eyes settled on Sol once more before he spoke, "She pays dearly."

* * *

_Why wasn't she back yet?_ That was the question that plagued Fridrika's mind when she and Sawbones returned to the Cistern. They entered The Ragged Flagon and Sawbones went to get them a couple of drinks to celebrate a job well done. Sol had left the same day as Fridrika, which would make this the third day she'd been gone.

"Here." Sawbones placed a bottle of Black-Briar mead in front of her. When she didn't acknowledge him, he popped the thing open for her. "Take a drink," he urged.

Fridrika sighed and took a sip. "She should be back," she found herself saying.

"Maybe she got caught and is serving her time to jail?" Sawbones shrugged.

"It's what she would deserve," Brynjolf grumbled from his seat very close them. "We all warned her."

"And you're just going to let her sit there? Alone?"

Brynjolf looked over at Fridrika, his eyes tired, but still heated. When Fridrika shrunk back and away from him, he knew that he wasn't himself. He hadn't been for a long time. He didn't like this. He sighed irritably and stood, leaving without another word.

"Bryn needs a break," Delvin said with a small smile. "He's worried; don't let him fool you."

"And what about you?" Fridrika questioned, suddenly very cold.

Delvin looked at her with his dark eyes. "I take it she's told you things she shouldn't have?"

"Why shouldn't she have? She needs someone to listen to her." In fact, they needed each other. Sol wasn't a chore to be dealt with as these people seemed to think she was.

"Listen," Delvin started, "Sol wants more of me than I'm willin' to give. I'm flattered. Really, I am. But it just wouldn't work. She's not my type. She's too…"

Fridrika scowled. "Happy? Childish?" Delvin shrugged, but didn't offer a real answer. "If that's what you think, then you've no idea who she is. I don't know what she sees in you." With that, Fridrika left. She valued loyalty, so Sol would always be taken care of if she could help it.

Delvin sighed heavily. He touched a bottle of mead to his lips, tilted it back. Empty. Another sigh as he put it back on the table.

'_I don't know what she sees in you.'_

_Neither do_ _I_, he thought. With a shake of his head, Delvin stood, tucking his hands into his pockets. In one of those pockets, he fingered a tiny wooden object – a deer, a near copy of the one he'd given to their Guild Master. Its counterpart. An almost perfect match. Just like...

He found that she was stuck on his mind. His heart felt as if it were in a vice. This pain would never relent. _Damn you, Sol..._

* * *

**Chapter end! **Thanks for reading!


	5. Bad Deal

_Bad Deal_

* * *

Sol groaned when she woke up. Her body felt leaden, her head throbbed painfully. She struggled to sit up. Memories swamped her, going too fast for her to process. An arrow laced with some drug. Hatred. Debilitating pain. Scars and fear. Betrayal.

_No… _Her thoughts were all jumbled, stuck in the past. She had to get a grip. She took a steadying breath and tried to sort through everything.

She'd been in the Goldblood house. Birger, the babe of the family, had caught her red-handed. The next thing she remembered… Sol forced herself up, her whole body crying out in protest. She looked down. She'd been shot in the shoulder – close to her chest. She'd felt groggy and weak after, so she knew the arrow had been tipped with _something_.

Sol inspected the raw wound. Her skin was red and angry, puffed up and bruised. She touched the area with gentle fingertips, but still grimaced.

"Finally awake, are you?"

She looked up and through her fuzzy vision. The Goldbloods stared down at her from behind bars. Linka smiled. "I remember you, you know? I think you _are_ the one that took my ring now. That wasn't enough, so you came for more, huh? We'll make you pay for your insolence."

Sol just smiled softly and shook her head. But when Claude laughed, she had to frown. "Look at yourself, fool. Look around you. Do you think she's joking?"

For the first time, Sol took note of the fact that she'd been stripped – of everything. Her weapons were gone, her tools, her _clothes_. "What is the meaning of this?" She struggled to find her voice and when she did, it sounded weak even to her own ears.

"Weren't you listening?" Linka snapped. Her mother quelled her with a look.

"This is your punishment, thief."

"What are you saying?" she whispered.

Agnes smiled – a menacing smile. Her eyes were akin to a cat's when it toyed with a mouse. "You attempted to steal from our home. As punishment, you'll serve as our entertainment."

Sol shook her head a little harder and regretted it instantly. She cradled her head in both of her hands. "I don't understand. What do you want from me? Why am I like this?"

An arrow whizzed by her head before it burrowed into the wall of earth somewhere behind her. Sol's eyes widened in shock, in horror. If she hadn't already been so pale, she would have blanched.

"Are you getting our meaning yet?" Claude asked. "If so…_run_. Find the exit, and you might be able to escape our righteous judgment." He let loose another arrow. "_Go_!"

As weak and as disoriented as she was, Sol forced herself to move. She didn't doubt that these people would kill her. Her legs wobbled, struggling under her weight. Her extremities were numb – because it was cold down here, beneath the earth.

Who were these people? What kind of sick game was this and how long had they been at it? They were going to _hunt_ her! She should've listened to Fridrika, to Bryn and Delvin. _Shit… I'm sorry. Please forgive me, Gem. This was my mistake. _

Sol fell, landing on her hands and knees. She panted heavily, her lungs burning. Her heart was loud in her ears. She had no way of knowing if the Goldbloods were right behind her, their weapons prepared to _kill_ her. She fought to get back on her feet, struggled on even with her tunnel vision.

_What was on that arrow? Seriously! _At the very least, her mind was starting to process things more smoothly.

She tripped, gasped as she fell. "What the…?" She'd landed on...a corpse. She threw herself away from the man, crab-walking backwards. Tears formed in her eyes, but she somehow kept from becoming hysterical.

Unlike her, this man had not been stripped bare. Steeling herself, she tugged the arrows from his stiff body. She took his shirt for herself, not even bothering with the pants – because of their size they'd be more of a hindrance than anything. She checked his pockets for anything useful, but came up empty-handed. Swearing softly, she started moving again.

_Find the exit_. Claude had given her that small amount of hope. All she had to do was stay calm, think, and look out for this exit. She took a breath, sought out that pool of peace within her and dove into it.

A surprised squeak had Sol standing completely motionless. She ducked, hiding in some tall grass. A skeever stood on its hind legs, scenting the air. Sol, unarmed, didn't even want to risk dealing with the pest. The rat-like creature walked forward, ears twitching and turning. A loud clunking noise made Sol jump. The skeever screamed, a horrid cry of agony. It had tripped a bear trap.

Sol's tongue tried to moisten her dry lips. Where there was one skeever, there was more. The bear traps lying about told her to be even more cautious. She pushed a hand through her damp ginger hand. She was sweating profusely, but she felt chilled to the bone.

"Look at the tiny footprints in the mud!"

Fear urged her forward. Elof Goldblood was a big man – one she definitely didn't want to tangle with by herself. From the sounds of it, he was enjoying himself a little too much.

How had they gotten so close? She felt like she'd been running forever! An arrow flew by her head and she yelped, nearly falling over.

"How could you miss?" Linka snarled.

"What can I say?" She heard the shrug in Elof's voice as she continued sprinting further away. "She's a slippery one. Calm down and enjoy yourself; we'll catch her sooner or later."

* * *

Fridrika rubbed her temples. "She wasn't arrested," she told Brynjolf the next day. He looked up at her, stroking his beard. "At least, your guards haven't seen her." She couldn't meet the man's green gaze; she wasn't in the mood for one of his fierce glares. "She still isn't home, either."

"Agnes Goldblood is hanging around the market with one of her daughters."

"That doesn't mean anything except that four of them are still unaccounted for. Brynjolf—"

When the man reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Fridrika was left ruffled, her cheeks turning bright red. "Sol isn't helpless, Vinter. She's handled far worse than a few pompous asses."

"That's the thing, though. I don't think these guys are just 'a few pompous asses'. There's something weird about them."

Brynjolf sighed, shaking his head. "I agree," he finally admitted, surprising her. He wasn't looking at her now, but staring into his tankard of mead.

"But you're not going to do anything about it?"

"What would you have me do, Vinter? Go to the guard and have the Goldbloods taken in based on our theories and hunches? Even with all of our connections, it simply wouldn't happen. I'm sorry, but for now, our hands are tied."

Fridrika shook her head in disagreement. "Mine aren't," she murmured. "I'll find out what's happening on my own." She turned away.

"Vinter." Brynjolf stood as if he'd try to stop her. She looked back at him from over her shoulder. "If you're really going to start something with the Goldbloods…" He paused and his expression changed with some emotion that Fridrika couldn't identify. "…be careful. Learn from Sol's mistakes."

Fridrika didn't really reply, only gave a stiff nod before she left him there. When she was sure she was out of sight, she ducked her head, fighting off a rush of burning tears. She couldn't hope to do this by herself. She'd need Sol's confidence, Brynjolf's sure-handedness, and even Delvin's cool silence.

"Vinter," a male's voice interrupted her thoughts. She hastily blinked away her tears and looked up. "I thought you'd fallen asleep standing up!" Sawbones offered her a pleasant smile.

"No, that's not it. I'm just…preparing myself."

"For what? Did Brynjolf give you another job?"

"No. I'm going to find Sol."

Sawbones's expression didn't change. He just stared at her with his dark, almost black eyes. "I'll help you." Then he laughed, saying, "Don't look so surprised now!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't expect anyone from the Guild would want to help. They're all kind of busy doing their own things."

"That's just how they are," Sawbones said with a shrug. "Sol's more than just the Guild Master in my eyes, though. She's a friend." He was in the same boat as her, then.

"We sure know how to pick 'em, don't we?" Her smile was humorless.

Sawbones grinned. "She adds color to an otherwise grey existence, though!"

"I won't argue with that," Fridrika told him as they went through the Cistern. "Sol has some things back at her house that we can use. We'll stop there first." Sawbones only nodded.

When they were out of the Cistern and breathing fresh air again, Fridrika glanced back at Sawbones. He'd lost his smile. He was all business now, but his concern for Sol was still there on his face.

"Thank you for coming with me," she said softly.

Sawbones pushed a hand through his raven black hair. "You don't need to say that. I wasn't about to let you go off by yourself. Besides, I have no doubt that Sol is in trouble – if she's not already…dead." Fridrika's heart clenched when that thought was finally given life. It'd come to her mind more than once, but she'd always censored it before she could really accept it as a possibility. "Either way," Sawbones continued, "I have to know."

Honeyside came into sight just as they started hearing footfalls behind them. They both whirled around, prepared for the worst.

* * *

Sol had no way of knowing if it was day or night. She just knew that as she kept moving, the temperature kept dropping. She was tired, her muscles were sore and her wounds burned. She needed to find a place to rest.

Glancing around, Sol noticed a ledge large enough for her to perch on. She grabbed the wall with both hands and struggled to find footholds when she started ascending. When she made it, she tried not to disturb what plant growth there was – not only could they pin-point her location using such a telltale sign, but she'd need it to hide from them.

Sol collapsed and assumed the fetal position. Her mouth was so dry and her stomach groaned hungrily. _Sleep_, she ordered herself. _Ignore everything else. The pain doesn't matter. It _can't_ matter. Not now. _

The cold made sure that she was constantly shivering. Her teeth chattered ceaselessly. "Ugh…" she grumbled quietly. _Think of something hot!_

Sol closed her eyes tightly. She saw a crackling fire with her mind's eye. She imagined that she was cooking over that fire, something comforting that would warm her stomach.

"_Sol." _Her expression softened at the sound of that man's voice. Tears stung her eyes and her nose. Delvin wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, sharing his body heat with her. She turned her head up to look at him, stared at his lips that were mere inches from her own. She could practically feel his breath on her face.

Sol's body shuddered with her little hopeless sobs. "Delvin," she whispered. She bit into her lip mercilessly to keep from saying anything else. _Please, let me dream of you just this once. _He was all that was keeping her from going crazy at this point. _Hold me until I fall asleep. Just do this for me one time and I'll never ask anything of you again._

* * *

**Chapter end. **As usual, thanks for reading!


	6. Ruthless Game

_Ruthless Game_

* * *

She'd been awake for a while now, probably a couple of hours. Still, she kept her eyes closed and pretended that she was somewhere else. Delvin had abandoned her that night – which hadn't come as a surprise, really. She'd gotten maybe an hour's worth of sleep and she was unwilling to face whatever hardships the Goldbloods had planned for her.

_Gotta move_, she'd told herself more than once, but that hadn't done anything to get her stiff body going. _I'm going to die here. _And that didn't seem so bad to her right now. After all, what did she have to return to? Her wealth? Sure, but what good was it? She was beginning to realize that having money didn't mean total happiness – not unless you had someone to share it with.

Fridrika's blue eyes flashed angrily at her. "_Get up already! You look pathetic!" _

"I am pathetic, Gem. You knew that from the beginning."

"_You done wallowing in self-pity yet? It's annoying to the rest of us. We all have our own obstacles to overcome._"

"You're right, of course," Sol mumbled.

"_Then _get up_!_"

Sol turned over and crawled on her belly through the grass. She listened carefully, but picked up on nothing. She searched the area, looking for any indicator that the Goldbloods had passed by her. "We'll play it your way, Gem. You're always so mean to me!" She jumped down, landing awkwardly when she would have otherwise landed with all the grace of a cat.

Sol pressed forward, ignoring the numbness in her feet and her burning lungs. _I've been in scarier situations_, she reminded herself. _Mercer Frey, that old, dung-licking double-crosser. He put me through a lot worse. I can get out of this. No problem. _

Of course, Mercer had never taken all of her possessions and made her run from him so he could hunt her down like she was big game. Sol groaned and shook her head. She had to distract herself!

_The first thing I'll do when I get out of here… Go to the others and apologize for being such an idiot. I'll do something nice for each of 'em! I'll be charming and win them over and they won't say mean things like 'I told you so'. _That sounded nice. She was probably hoping for too much, though.

"I expected better from the two of you."

Sol recognized Claude's voice somewhere behind her and picked up the pace. She could just barely make out Elof grumbling something before she heard a shrill cry from Linka as she whined about whatever he'd said.

She had to take at least one of them out. There was no way she'd be able to take them all on at once, but she knew she would never be able to separate them here. Linka was the easiest target, but wasn't exactly an _easy target_.

"Gotta pick 'em off." Sol steeled herself and whirled around. She took a steadying breath as they entered her line of sight.

"You stopped running? That takes the fun out of everything!" Elof's smile was wicked. He lost that stupid grin when she started running at them. "What…?" He saw his father ready his bow out of the corner of his eye and so he followed suit.

"_Fus_!" An unrelenting force had both men stumbling back and their arrows falling to the ground uselessly. As they struggled to compose themselves, Sol zigzagged towards Linka. She fired off an arrow out of desperation, meaning to keep Sol at bay. She missed and Sol tackled her to the ground, initiating a grappling match.

When Linka gave Sol her back, she took full advantage – her arm coiled around Linka's neck, tightening with every breath Linka took. Sol's legs, stronger than they appeared, kept Linka from thrashing around, though the Goldblood still fought like a wild cat.

With her free hand, Sol sought out the dagger that she knew Linka had. When she felt the hilt against her palm, the sense of comfort and safety was immediate. She dragged it from its sheath and held it up only to plunge it into Linka's soft body. The blade struck only vitals.

_Die quickly._ Despite everything, Sol would never wish for these people to suffer needlessly – in a physical sense, at least. She was no sadist.

"Linka!" Claude cried out. She stared up at her father in abject horror, unable to even reach out to him.

Sol pushed Linka away from her and came up fast, sprinting away from the two furious men. Their vile curses followed after her. When she glanced over her shoulder, it didn't seem like they were following her – their kin had to come first.

A Skeever squeaked and Sol halted with a tiny gasp. She looked over her shoulder again and noticed Elof, a great bear of a man, running towards her angrily. Linka was gone, then. She turned to the Skeever and noticed the hole in the wall behind it. Skeever droppings littered the surrounding area, telling her that the Skeevers most likely had a den somewhere beyond.

Sol took up a few rocks, waited until Elof was a little closer and then hurled the rocks at the Skeever hole. They would come pouring out, but she'd already be far out of their reach. With some luck, they might at least slow Elof down.

The thief ran for only a few minutes before she was brought up short. She stared at the cave-in before her, dismayed. Blasts of cold air rushed through the cracks between the rocks, a cruel reminder that she was still _trapped_.

Sol dove for the cave-in, clawing desperately at the earth. "No…!" She should have figured that she'd been lied to. How could she believe that the Goldbloods, twisted as they were, would allow her to leave?

An arrow whizzed through the air and buried itself deep into her back. Sol hissed and spun around, glaring at Claude as he and Elof approached – looking for all the world like big cats stalking prey. "Let me do it, Father…" Elof had lost both his merry smile and the light in his eyes. "We should make her suffer. Make her pay the ultimate price. If we killed her now, she'd be getting off too easy."

"You will not hear me disagree," Claude mumbled, his eyes dark and sorrowful. "Do what you will, Elof, but make her beg for death." He turned his head away as Elof pressed ever closer to Sol.

Elof's maniacal smile returned as he dragged his steel sword from its sheath. He lunged at her, swinging the blade in a wide arc. Sol jumped back but hit the wall behind her just as the tip of Elof's sword grazed her stomach. Crimson blood trickled down her pale flesh – and that only seemed to excite the man.

He tried to pierce her rather than slash at her, but she was quick enough to avoid that bit of nastiness. When he tried to do so again, his blade got lodged in the rocks behind Sol. It didn't bother him any. In fact, he seemed more than willing to close the short distance between them, successfully trapping her.

Sol brandished the stolen dagger and Elof took her tiny wrist in his hand, crushing it. His hold tightened until she grimaced and was forced to release the weapon. It fell to the ground uselessly.

Elof pulled at the shirt she wore and it tore under the stress. "The world won't be missing much when I kill you," he mumbled, leaning close. He grabbed her by her hair when she tried to duck under his arm and get away. Without mercy, he slammed her back against the wall. In the next second, she took a giant fist to the face that knocked her to the ground.

As if she sensed what he would do next, she pulled her knees up to her chest and protected her head with both of her arms. Elof's foot made contact with her side and she yelped. The attack seemed to go on forever – she lost track of time. There was only the pain now. He struck wherever he could to inflict the most damage.

The assault paused and Sol dared to peek at the Goldbloods. Claude had perched himself on a boulder, one leg brought up to rest his arm on. His expression was devoid of emotion as he watched the display of violence and power. Elof loomed over her, his face a triumphant sneer. He spat at her and paced back and forth, prowling, waiting… Daring her to move.

"Get up," he commanded after a full minute of staring her down. When she didn't act immediately, he sent a swift kick her way. She scrambled to her feet, every movement sending white lightning streaking through her body. Tears swam in her eyes, obscuring her vision as Elof crowded close, invading her space and letting his hot breath blast her in the face.

A hard slap had her falling into the wall and smacking her head against it. She raised her arms to protect her face, but Elof wouldn't allow that. He grabbed both of her wrists in one hand, twisting and turning them this way and that, doing whatever he could to hurt her. He leaned his forehead against hers, his free hand sliding up to her throat.

"You're nothing without your toys, huh? You know what I need to kill you? Just this one hand." His fingers curled, squeezing until she could no longer draw air. He watched her struggle with a strange look in his eyes. He licked his lips hungrily before his mouth crushed hers. He bit into her bottom lip, drawing blood. She whimpered when his tongue lapped at the ruby droplets.

Sol redoubled her efforts to get away. Elof groaned when she kneed his manhood. "Gods damn you!" He shook her hard and, roaring his rage, threw her to the ground. She coughed and wheezed, rubbing her sore throat. Glancing up, she watched Elof as he bobbed up and down, clutching his damaged goods. He recovered quickly and jumped on her, raining down punches aimed for her face. He was only satisfied when her eyes began to swell shut.

Curious, he tilted his head to one side. "What are you saying?" he questioned when he noticed her lips moving. He bared his teeth in a parody of a smile. "Are you already pleading with me?" Sol looked up at him, shaking her head gently. He frowned now. "Then what?"

"Just thinking aloud," Sol mumbled, "about men and women – and _eternal strife_." Almost as soon as she said that, the two were bound together by a strange cord. Elof's eyes widened in shock and he fell to his knees, suddenly lightheaded and weak. The cord sapped him of almost everything he was and fed it to Sol, strengthening her.

"What did you do?" he snarled into her ear.

Sol's body ached much less and she noticed that it was easier to breathe. Realizing that this was no time to celebrate, she palm-struck Elof, being sure to go for his nose. He groaned, his hands flying up to his face as he rolled off and away from her.

Sol struggled to turn over, her body still racked with pain. She reached for the dagger that she'd dropped previously. She touched the hilt just as Elof grabbed her by her ankles and dragged her backwards. "I'm tired of playing with you," he spoke past the blood that now flowed freely down his face.

"Good! I didn't want to play with you, anyway!" Sol rolled over and slashed at Elof. He fell back on his ass trying to avoid the blade. Swift as a hare, Sol lunged forward, swinging the dagger in a wide arc. The tip of the blade nicked Elof's collarbone. Furious, he swatted at her hand, trying to knock the thing away from her before he tackled her.

As weak as Elof was right now, he still managed to grab her wrist and hold it above her head. She held the dagger tightly, writhing underneath him as his other hand found her throat once again. Sol fought valiantly, kicking and squirming, biting and clawing – because she would _never_ beg for _anything_, let alone her life or death.

Claude's surprised grunt had them both looking over at the man. He'd been silent before, practically a ghost, but now his eyes were wide, glazed with pain, and his teeth were set as if in rigor mortis. A hard shove between the man's shoulders had him falling forward, dead.

Birger stood over his father's corpse, staring at the scene before him as if he were bored – completely unaffected. "If you would, Brother…" He gestured for the other man to stand.

"Birger? What in Oblivion do you think you're doing?"

"Move any further, you take an arrow to the eye," a feminine voice warned.

_Gem?_ Sol turned her head a little more, but could only manage to make out the outline of a woman. What was going on?

"I'm simply…cleaning up," Birger responded to his brother's question. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Elof." But he smiled charmingly. "One of you, please kill my brother." With that, he turned and sauntered away.

"Birg…!" Elof's head jerked backwards when an arrow lodged itself in his eye socket. He wobbled feebly before he fell on top of Sol. She whimpered, fighting off tears as she struggled to get him off of her.

"Hold on, lass!" Brynjolf grabbed Elof and threw him like so much trash. "Can you stand?" She nodded, wiping at her bruised face as she sat up.

"Sol!" Fridrika practically flung herself at the woman, wrapping her up in her arms. Sol hid her face in the curve of Fridrika's neck, not wanting Bryn to see her sniveling.

"…wasn't worth it, Gem."

Fridrika only nodded as she ran her fingers through Sol's tangled hair. She rocked her gently and looked up when a man stood over her. "You ready to go home, Sol?" Fridrika asked.

"So ready!" she cried.

"Come on, then." Fridrika stood and helped Sol get to her feet.

"Sawbones, take point," Bryn ordered.

"Yup."

"Can you walk on your own, boss?"

Sol looked up immediately upon hearing Delvin's voice. Why'd he come? She didn't need him seeing her like this! Even so, he just stood there staring at her.

"Let's go," Fridrika urged, tugging Sol's hand.

"Well, get to stepping if you're in such a hurry! I'm pretty beat up here, you know? It's gonna take me a while to get anywhere." When Fridrika frowned, Sol could only smile. "Move your feet, Gem. I'll catch up." Fridrika nodded and did as she was told.

Delvin was staring, she realized. He made sure that he was keeping pace with her, too. She wondered what he was thinking about, why he was even here.

The swelling hid her big brown eyes from him, but he could tell that she was suspicious – the gears in her head working overtime. She was beyond tired; her movements slow and favoring various injuries. When she finally looked at him, he could only see the bruises that stained her once flawless skin.

"I can only imagine what the lot of you are thinking," she said with a humorless smile. "Stuff like, 'I told you so' and 'you brought this on yourself'. And I'm not gonna argue with you, 'cause you're right and—"

"Sol." The sound of her name on his lips startled her. He didn't say anything more, just shook his head. That was his way of telling her to shut up, she figured.

She blinked away tears when she bit into her lip, forgetting that it was split for a moment. "I…lost the deer," she told him, refusing to look at him now.

"Is that right? I'll just have to make you another, then."

That only made her feel worse. She kept her head down, staring at her dirty bare feet. She stopped suddenly and Delvin did the same, his expression curious.

"Hey," she said, causing the others to look back. "I'm sorry," she told them, "for being difficult and not listening and all of that stuff. And…thank you for coming for me." She struggled to speak past the lump in her throat, "I would've died otherwise."

Fridrika offered her a kind smile. "Well, don't make getting saved a habit."

"Ha. Funny."

"I'm learning from the best." Fridrika gestured for her to get moving, saying, "Come on. Let's go home."

"I'm sorry, what was that? You thought I'd just let that first part go?" Sol questioned loudly. "Last I heard I wasn't that great, but now I'm _the best_?"

Fridrika sighed heavily, mumbling, "And now I'll never hear the end of this…"

* * *

**Chapter end! **Thanks for reading!


	7. New Hope

_Thief in the Limelight - New Hope_

* * *

Outside and away from the Goldbloods' twisted hunting grounds, Birger stood waiting for them, a soft smile on his young face. His sister, Jorunnr, stood at his side. She was a small thing, a head and shoulders shorter than her younger brother. Her eyes were large and innocent and her smile was inviting. "I'm glad to see you alive," she said, looking at Sol.

"Uh… Thanks?"

"Sol, these two have been secretly working against the rest of their family," Fridrika told her. "It was Jorunnr that sought out the Guild to inform us that you'd been taken captive and made a part of their family's sick game."

"I am grateful," Sol said, bowing her head.

Jorunnr frowned. "Think nothing of it. I only wish that we had stopped this before it even started." She looked down and Sol's gaze followed hers. A basket sat at Jorunnr's feet. "This is everything that was taken off of you." She picked it up and handed it off to Sol.

"Despite everything," Birger spoke up, "I would actually like to work with your guild. Everything that was once my family's has now become ours," he said, gesturing to himself and his sister. "That includes not just their personal wealth, but their businesses as well.

"Now, since I know that your guild is actually something to be feared, I won't hold it over your head that you got caught. After all, our home was better protected than a Jarl's even."

Sol looked over at Brynjolf. She expected him to know everything about this family – where they lived, their businesses, how well connected they were, so on and so forth. Was being affiliated with these people in the Guild's best interest?

Brynjolf gave a slow nod and Sol smiled. She held her hand out towards Birger, saying, "We'll be more than happy to work with you. I'm sure we'll both profit from this relationship."

Birger grasped her hand and gave it a quick shake. "I'm glad. I was afraid you'd want to have us run out of Skyrim."

Sol shrugged, ignoring the pain that came with it. "I've nothing against either of you. I don't go by that 'guilty by association' rule." She started digging through the basket and tugging on her clothes. In her pocket, her fingers curled around the little deer carving. She reached back into the basket to drag out her black cape. "_What_…?" Surprised, Sol looked up at the Goldblood siblings.

"Vinter told us that this is what you threw your life away for." Birger's smile widened.

The dragon's ruby eyes gleamed as Sol lifted it out of the basket. She stared at it for a long moment, frowning. No matter how beautiful it was, this thing had brought her nothing but pain. "Why don't you keep it?" She held it out to Birger. Fridrika's eyes widened in shock.

"Please," Birger insisted, "take it. It's a gift. In no way does it make up for the things that you had to endure, but…it's the least I can offer."

"Would've felt a lot better had I lifted it myself," she said with a short, humorless laugh.

"I'm sure," Birger said, nodding. "Now, you needn't worry about anybody finding out about any of this. My mother has already been dealt with and her remains will be transported into that cave to be buried with the rest of my family. Anyone that calls on them will be told that they returned to Cyrodiil to care for a sick family member and handle their affairs."

"You've got it all thought out, then."

"Indeed." Birger laced his fingers behind his back. "Well, we'll call on you when we must, Sol. For now, my sister and I have much to take care of."

"Understood. We'll take our leave, then."

With that, the thieves started heading back to Riften. "I don't know what I'll do first," Sol said, bumping shoulders with Fridrika. "Eat or sleep?"

Fridrika looked at her friend. "Eat. You need to get your strength back." Sol's gaze fixed on Fridrika, her eyes dead – they didn't even reflect light.

Sol wrapped an arm around Fridrika's shoulders, both as a friendly gesture and as a way to relieve some of the pain she was feeling. Fridrika seemed to sense this, so she didn't protest. "I'm glad we met, Vinter," Sol told her.

"Even though I was trying to get you thrown in jail on that first day?"

"Ha! Yeah!"

Fridrika smiled, her blue eyes sparkling like sapphires. "I'm glad we met, too." Whispering, she said, "You scared me, you know? You scared all of us."

Sol frowned. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. It's over now, so…let's let it be over."

"Whatever you want, Sol," Fridrika responded, meaning it.

"Bryn! I want a full report when we get back, 'kay?" Bryn would have handled the Guild's affairs with her missing in action. She glanced back at the man and he gave her a curt nod.

"No problem, lass."

Sol refused to look back at Delvin as he trailed behind them all. This physical pain, she could deal with, but her shame was too great – more than that, there was the fear of ridicule and the scars that he always seemed to leave on her heart. She was both relieved and horrified that he'd come for her; she just did not want to read too much into it. Sol was done giving him chances to rip her apart. At least, she hoped that was the truth.

* * *

"How are you feeling today, Sol?" Sawbones questioned nearly two weeks later. She looked up from what she was doing – mulling over a letter from a client. As soon as she'd returned, she'd started replying to them. Bryn had handled most of the work, but he'd left a few things up to her.

"You've probably asked that every day since I've been back," she mumbled. She was better; her bruises were faded, her ribs no longer ached like they had, and the wound in her back – from Claude's arrow – was healing nicely. "I'm well. Trust me."

"It's just that you've looked very bothered the last few days."

This time she looked at him – _really_ looked at him, forgetting about the letter. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it right back up. She turned away and her brow crinkled when she finally told him, "It has nothing to do with the incident with the Goldbloods."

"Oh?"

With a sigh, she dragged a hand through her hair. "Things are getting really bad. Have you heard what the guards are saying? Dragons are popping up everywhere, destroying everything."

"And you're the Dragonborn, the only one that can truly kill a dragon by absorbing its soul," he murmured thoughtfully as he eased into the chair across from her.

"That's what they say," Sol said with a small shrug. With another sigh, she rested her cheek in her palm. She seemed lost and unsure. "I feel…bad. I feel like I've done everything wrong since coming here, you know?

"People are _dying_. And if the Nords are right, I'm the only one that can really do anything about it. I thought that they were just exaggerating, you know? " She started rubbing her temples. "It wasn't this bad before. I thought, maybe, the problem would resolve itself. No one's helpless. Sure, dragons are big and spit fire at you, but they're not invincible... Ugh!" She looked at him, her eyes wide and confused. "What do I do?"

Sawbones stared at her for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head, saying, "Sol, I think you've known all along what to do. You've just been too scared to act." His words didn't seem to take her by surprise, meaning he was right. "There's nothing wrong with being afraid."

"That's not what I need to hear!" she whined, slamming her head against the table. He couldn't help the small smile that came to his face. "You should be telling me not to be afraid and that I can do anything! Tell me to be a man and not to ignore my duties!"

He laughed – a short, but masculine laugh. He reached over and placed a hand on her head, ruffling her hair. She pouted as she went about straightening and untangling it. "Just remember that you're not alone, okay?"

"I wouldn't ask any of you to help me with this. This isn't something that could result in some jail-time and terrible food; it could very well cost me my life." This time, he reached over to flick her forehead. "Hey!"

"Do not forget my words," he said seriously. With that, he rose and walked away, leaving her to her thoughts.

Sol sighed. She crossed her arms on the table and used them as a pillow for her head. She knew what she had to do, yes. It was just a matter of working up enough courage to do it…but it seemed hopeless, no matter how she looked at it.

_Only if I do nothing_, she told herself. _I have to do it! _She stood from her seat, her mouth set and her eyes hard – determined!

"But I'll die!" she cried the next second, falling back into her seat. Patrons of The Ragged Flagon looked over at her, but she didn't seem to notice as she slammed her head against the table. She had to decide: what was more important, her life or Nirn?

That seemed to do it for her. She stood again, this time to go and talk to Brynjolf. He was making himself busy in the Cistern, going over letters and counting gold. He looked up at her when she stood on the other side of the desk he sat at. He went to stand, but stopped when she gestured for him to.

"What is it, lass?"

"Bryn, I didn't keep it a secret, so you know what I am." He simply nodded once. "You've heard the stories going around, too. The dragons are becoming a real threat. I can't ignore them any longer. I have to do something."

Brynjolf didn't say anything immediately. He looked her up and down and she seemed to know what he was getting at. "I'm fine," she grumbled. "The Goldbloods caught me off guard and used some pretty underhanded methods – those are the only reasons they were able to do what they did to me. Dragons will be a whole other story."

"Yeah, the larger than life, swallow-you-up-in-one-go kind of story. But that'll be after they've made you crispy with their _fire breath_."

Sol scowled. "I know what I'm going up against."

"Do you?"

"Bryn, c'mon… This is something I have to do. If I don't do anything, I won't even live to regret it – the dragons will devour Nirn."

Bryn closed his eyes, rubbing his temples. When he looked at her again, at the expression she wore, he could tell that there would be no swaying her. "Alright," he said finally.

"You'll have to take care of the Guild for a while."

"I know."

"Let Vex and Delvin help you more, Bryn. Take better care of yourself."

"Ugh… Fine. When you get back, I'm taking a_ long_ break."

Sol laughed. "To punish me, right? I don't know how well I'd do without you, Bryn."

"You'll probably insult all of our clients and they'll want our heads mounted on their walls."

"Ha! I wonder what our faces would be stuck looking like?"

"You'd be grinning from ear to ear, happy with yourself."

"Oh, c'mon! I bet yours would be a permanent scowl directed towards me."

"Probably."

"You're mean!" But she was laughing. Brynjolf's lips twitched upwards – the first smile she'd seen in a long time, actually. She was glad that she got to see it one last time. "I'll let the others know that I'll be gone for a while." The Guild already knew to listen to Brynjolf when Sol wasn't around. "See you later, Bryn."

"Yeah…" He lost his smile and watched as she turned away.

Sol went about telling the rest of the Guild that she was leaving. None of them took it too hard; this was a business to them, not a family – even so, they had to know. "Thanks for understanding!" she would say to each of them.

"Delvin," she called when she saw him. He looked at her, his face worn, but his eyes bright. She'd always loved that about him. "I'm going away for a while, so keep the children in line and make sure Bryn eats!" She offered him her best smile – fake as it was.

"Goin' away…_where_?"

Sol shrugged, saying, "I was told to go talk to the Greybeards at High Hrothgar."

"This isn't for the Guild, is it?"

Sol's smile softened and she shook her head. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm gonna be a dragon hunter!" she said with more enthusiasm than she felt. "Help Bryn as much as you can while I'm away, please. He'll run himself into the ground, otherwise."

Delvin nodded slowly. They stared at each other for a long moment with their matching eyes. Sol's expressive eyes spoke volumes and Delvin had to look away in order to talk, "Will do." It was all he could think to say when she looked like she could fall into his arms and cry for days.

Sol's smile was forced and ugly. "See you," she said softly and turned on her heel. Delvin watched her progress, hating the distance she was putting between them. She was inches away from that door and this could be the last that he saw of her – those stiff shoulders and bloodshot eyes, the rigid way she walked…_lonely and bereft of hope_.

He had to say something. He had to give her some incentive. "Sol." That was all it took to get her to turn right back around. "When you get back, we can try." Her brow crinkled in confusion. "_Us_," he specified. Her eyes widened. He watched as, for the first time in a while, a real smile reached her eyes.

Sol reached into her pocket and opened her little fist, revealing the wooden deer he'd gifted her with. In return, he showed her the buck that he'd been keeping. That seemed to take her by surprise too, but her smile returned instantly as she tucked the deer back into her pocket. She waved goodbye and he watched her step out.

Sol went home and checked around for Fridrika. "She must be out shopping or something," she guessed. She'd find Fridrika later – she couldn't leave without saying goodbye. She packed essentials, moving slowly, reluctantly, hating that she had to leave her life behind.

Outside, Sol looked for Fridrika, but could find her nowhere. After a while, she began to wonder if she'd heard the news from one of the others and was now playing hide-and-seek, not wanting to face the truth…or Sol. Unfortunately, Sol had no time for games. It was time to leave.

With a long sigh, Sol exited the city through the gate. When Sol lifted her gaze, she spotted a woman leaning against a carriage and a big man standing close to her. "What do you guys think you're doing?" she asked, jogging to close the distance between them.

"What does it look like?" Fridrika straightened, crossing her arms over her chest.

"We're going with you," Sawbones told her.

"Oh, no! I won't allow it. It's way too—"

"Dangerous? Yeah, we got that." Fridrika yawned, as if Sol were telling a boring story. "We already told Brynjolf. He's fine with it." She scowled when Sol only shook her head. "Listen here, Sol – we're going with you. You can't stop us. It's two-against-one."

"Does this seem like a democracy to you?" Sol growled.

Fridrika rolled her eyes. "Do you really want to stand here doing this? Don't we have more important things to do?"

"It's like I told you, Sol – you're not alone." Sawbones wrapped an arm around her shoulders. The ginger-haired woman sighed heavily. "Quit fighting us."

"Ugh! You guys are so difficult!" Sol laughed. "Alright, you can come. But there are gonna be a few rules!"

"Didn't expect anything less," Fridrika said, shrugging. They grabbed their packs and started walking the path leading away from Riften.

"The first and most important rule is for the two of you to abort mission if it looks like things are getting dire."

Fridrika and Sawbones exchanged a look. "Yes, ma'am," they said in unison.

"The second and most important rule to remember is that my word is law! If I say 'jump', you say 'into which puddle', understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," they said again.

"The third and most important rule—"

"Sol, close that hole under your nose! Can we please just enjoy the long, exhausting walk ahead of us?"

Sol cleared her throat. "Yes. That seems like a nice plan of action, Vinter. Good thinking!" Sol pointed forward, grinning. "For fame and profit!"

"_What_?" Fridrika snarled. "Can't you ever do anything out of the kindness of your heart?"

Sol laughed, saying, "Do you even know me?"

She did – and that's why she could laugh along.

* * *

**Author's Note: **this may be the final chapter of _Thief in the Limelight_, but this is **NOT**** THE END**! This is the first of three parts. I've got most of it plotted out, so it's just a matter of putting it into words. Still, I want to thank you so much for reading and I hope that you'll stick around for the rest of the story. To make things easier, we'll call all of this the "Crime Life mini-series". With love, Odd


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